episode_0001

Yeah, I’ll admit it. I underestimated things. Having experienced the latest military in my past life, I thought I could handle a military from this modern frontline infantry era. It was a clear misjudgment on my part.

Even after going through six months of training at the Magic Infantry Training School following my magical aptitude test at 16, I, with my memories from my previous life, adapted quite easily and graduated with fairly good grades. However, it seemed that was as far as my advantage from my past life went.

“Hey, recruit! Snap out of it!”

A senior passing by gave me a light tap on the back. I wasn’t particularly spaced out, but I guess to him, my forward pace must have been slowing down.

It had been snowing heavily for the past hour. And I mean really heavily. We were marching through a coniferous forest area on horseback in the midst of such a blizzard. All the members of the battalion, as well as the nearby Moscovi military, had been assigned to the A and B Platoons as soon as news of a meteorite impact came in. Our mission was to head to the crash site for visual observation. It was definitely a risky task, as it was certain that the Moscovi military would also be heading towards the meteorite crash site. That’s why we were scouting in a different direction from A Platoon.

The Reconnaissance Battalion used what seemed like a modern and sophisticated tactic called Long-Range Infiltration Reconnaissance, which wouldn’t have been necessary if it weren’t for the incredibly long border between the Moscovi Republic and the Kingdom of Frankia. But ultimately, it was a tough job for the troops to carry out.

The combat uniform, painstakingly crafted by the military, did little to protect against the cold. The blue uniform, which paid no attention to insulation, and the green cloak draped around it, disguised as camouflage for infiltration into enemy territory, were not enough to withstand this cold. At least not for a new recruit like me.

Huh? Weren’t Magic Infantry supposed to regulate body temperature using magic? If you use magic so openly, you’ll soon be detected by the Moscovi Magic Infantry in return. That’s why during covert operations, one must block magic usage as much as possible and only occasionally activate small-scale magic. Did I mention that before? With a body as fragile as a lump of light, it’s not exactly robust.

“Halt.”

At the forefront of the platoon, Lieutenant Claire Montuoir, who led the formation, quietly spoke as the stop signal was given. Her neatly tied golden hair was piled with white snowflakes. Did she spot something in front? When Claire gave the halt signal, all the other platoon members followed her off their horses.

[B] The regular organization of Platoon B includes five members, including the platoon leader, but two died during the last reconnaissance training, and I was assigned to replenish, so currently, there were only four. Even the other two members, excluding the platoon leader, had barely a few months more seniority than me. Despite being a unit composed entirely of magic infantry, the attrition rate was incredibly high.

“There are Muscovian guys ahead. We can’t… we can’t go around. The new recruits won’t be able to hold.”

Claire looked at me and said it seemed like we couldn’t detour. Did I look too exhausted? No, I shouldn’t appear that weak. What was the reason I volunteered? Wasn’t it to build expertise and work for a quick promotion in a safe rear position?

“No, I’m still okay.”

“Despite saying that, Lieutenant Marianne doesn’t seem to be in good shape. Let’s force our way through the Muscovian forces ahead. It’s just a scout unit the size of an infantry platoon. Activate the magic.”

As Claire’s command came down, she infused magic into the Shalville musket placed on the horse saddle – surprisingly, its name was identical to the musket on Earth – and began to operate various magical spells.

Maintaining body temperature, enhancing strength, forcibly secreting adrenaline, active magic detection, automatic defense spells, and so on… As the level of the magic infantry increases, the variety of spells that can be maintained also increases, but at my level, enhancing strength, adrenaline, and defensive spells are about the limit. I might be able to add a few more while sitting still, but during combat where I need to move quickly, the quantity may decrease. Still, considering I received six months of basic magic infantry training, I was quite talented.

“Platoon, advance.”

For about a minute, the green uniforms of the Muscovian army were visible as they marched along a small path among the deciduous trees. They seemed to be heading in the direction of the meteorite as well. It was probably because the pouring snow covered all the sounds, preventing them from noticing each other until our squad approached very closely.

“Even though they are using large-scale magic, it seems they haven’t noticed us yet. Looks like there are no magic infantry over there.”

If there had been even one person among them with magic infantry or magical sensitivity, they would have certainly detected the energy released when I just activated the magic. Clere nodded at my words. Having found suitable cover behind a tree, she raised her hand as a signal to prepare for shooting.

Since we had already loaded the muskets, simply pulling back the hammer part with the magic stone attached meant that the shooting preparation was complete.

“Fire!”

The thunderous sound of the flintlock musket broke the silence of the forest, and the dense gunpowder smoke rose. Because of the close distance, not a single bullet missed. Exactly four Muscovian soldiers spilled blood and fell. Among them was an officer.

“Matan free fire!”

The Muscovian soldiers were no fools, and due to the nature of black powder, concealment after shooting was difficult. Therefore, the remaining soldiers immediately began to return fire towards our position. It was just unfortunate for them that their opponents were magic infantry. In the era of front-line infantry, what made magic infantry formidable was nothing else but the fact that, depending on each individual’s magical range, they could shoot magic bullets, called “matan,” without reloading. There was also the fact that, as a defensive measure, they could deflect several accurate shots. In fact, once they reached a certain level, they could hardly be penetrated by normal rifle fire at the usual shooting distance.

Pababapak—

Three of the hastily fired bullets from the Moscovian army were embedded in the trees and snow, while the remaining bullet bounced off just about 1cm away with a clinking sound before ricocheting. Conversely, the magical stone-loaded musket of the Shalville infantry, where flints would normally be, lodged its bullets precisely into the bodies and heads of the Moscovian soldiers. As the Moscovian soldiers finished their rapid fire and hurried to reload, we managed to fire three more shots.

With each flash of the magical stone, one shot was fired. Of course, expelling pure magical energy through a musket incurred intense magical consumption, equivalent to the energy required to deflect five bullets with an automatic defensive spell. I felt that if I continued expending magical energy, I would likely run short for the defensive spell, so I switched to conventional shooting.

I cocked the hammer, retrieved a paper cartridge containing gunpowder and lead pellets from the ammunition bag, tore open the paper wrapping with my teeth, spat it out as soon as I tasted the bitter, damp gunpowder, gently poured the gunpowder onto the powder pan, and then inserted the remaining paper and the bullet into the muzzle. Ideally, I should have packed it properly, but there was no time for that in the midst of battle. A few taps on the ground with the butt of the gun would do the trick. Finally, I aimed and fired.

Bang!

Turning my head amidst the acrid smell of gunpowder and thick smoke, I saw that all the other squad members, except for Claire, had also switched to regular shooting.

Ting-ting-

I flinched at the sensation of bullets bouncing off the defensive spell. The Moscovian soldiers had completed their second rapid fire, and once again, we had suffered no casualties. There were now just over ten of them left. Apparently feeling they couldn’t escape, the most senior among them drew a bayonet. The remaining Moscovian infantry also fixed bayonets to their muskets and charged straight at us, shouting at the top of their lungs.

In the rough Moscovian language, unmistakably foul words could be heard. The faces of the rugged Moscovian soldiers were contorted with fear.

“Squad—fix bayonets! Prepare for hand-to-hand combat!!”

Still in the midst of casting spells, I gulped nervously at Cler’s sharp command. The most critical moment for the magic infantry to perish was during the “Baekbyeongjeon” formation.

While bullets could be blocked with defensive spells, the continuous physical strain from the enemy’s cold weapons made it nearly impossible to rely solely on defense. If one didn’t want to die, they had to gather mana and shield themselves.

Amidst the assault by the Royal Army reaching our position, Cler’s shooting managed to bring down a few more, but they still outnumbered us.

“Ugh!”

Three Royal Army soldiers almost simultaneously lunged at me with bayonets. I rolled backward just in time to narrowly evade their thrusts. Did I look like an easy target? Well, Cler was still firing spells, and among the remaining squad members, I, being the smallest and a woman, probably seemed the most vulnerable.

“Back off!”

In the Baekbyeongjeon, using defensive spells wasn’t cost-effective, so I managed to spare enough magical power to switch from defensive spells to spellcasting. As soon as I turned the barrel forward, I struck a soldier’s head with a spell, but I couldn’t react to the two subsequent attacks. I swiftly rolled to the side. I saw their bayonets plunge into the spot where I had just been.

The adrenaline rush potion had worn off, but its lingering effects kept fear at bay. With a fierce cry, I plunged my bayonet into the unguarded side of my opponent who hadn’t yet regained his stance. The soft sensation assured me of a successful strike. Then, I drew my Charleville musket to fend off the rest of the Royal Army’s attacks.

“Huh?”

The Royal Army soldier, stabbed in the side by my bayonet, held onto my musket with both hands, refusing to let go. My strength-enhancing potion had already worn off due to mana depletion, leaving me unable to wrestle it free. Another Royal Army soldier’s approaching bayonet filled my vision. Is this how I die, in my first real battle? In the moment when I cursed the radiant entity that brought me here, a dull thud sounded, and the bayonet vanished from sight.

“[Report once, Marianne Hasa?]”

With a graceful follow-up movement after knocking away the last Imperial soldier’s rifle with her saber, Cler cut off his breath.

“Thank you, huff… thank you.”

Wiping the bloodied saber against the inside of her uniform sleeve, Cler seemed to have finished off the last Imperial soldier. Despite having resorted to using her officer’s saber in the final moments of the battle, she didn’t appear overly fatigued. She breathed a little heavily, but compared to exhausting four magic shots, she wasn’t that worn out.

As the tension of battle subsided, her legs weakened. Cler quickly caught herself from collapsing. I can’t believe I’m this pathetic.

“Are you okay, Marianne Hasa? It seems like you’ve suffered magical exhaustion due to uncontrolled magic shots.”

Magical exhaustion… Ah, I remembered the content from the basic magical infantry training. It’s the moment of extreme incapacitation when almost all of the body’s magic is depleted.

“I… I can stand alone.”

Forcing Cler away, she succeeded in standing on her wobbly legs. Congratulations! Despite magical exhaustion, I, Marianne Roche, stood proudly on my own two feet!

“You’re pushing yourself too hard, Hasa.”

Seeing that she could stand alone, Cler didn’t offer any further support. It was true; she was barely standing on trembling legs.

Think about it. I was born a man, but now I’m living as a woman. I thought I had gotten used to being a woman after 17 years, but when Cler supported me, an unfamiliar scent that didn’t belong on the battlefield rushed in, and I couldn’t help but push her away.

“P-please… support me a bit…”

I said to the officer nearby in a voice so soft that Cler couldn’t hear. Yes, it’s more comfortable for me when the person supporting me is a man.

“The Imperial soldier we just encountered was also heading towards the meteor crash site. I found the orders in the officer’s possession over there.”

Alphonse Hasa handed the Imperial soldier’s orders to Cler. After reading the orders, Cler hurriedly headed to where the horses were tied up and shouted.

“Move quickly! The enemy country already knows we’re here due to the large-scale use of magic! There’s no need for magical silence!”

I was practically jostled on the saddle by Claire’s words.

“Rather be behind me than getting stuck behind those common soldiers like Jang or Alphonse, right, sir?”

In order not to fall off the horse, racing through the snowy field at almost maximum speed due to magical exhaustion, I had no choice but to tightly grip Claire’s waist. Huh, her waist is quite slender…

“Sir?”

“Yes, yes?”

Did she catch on to my inappropriate thoughts? Startled, I loosened my grip, almost falling from the horse. Unconsciously, it seemed I had dozed off using the horse as a recliner.

“What’s that?”

As Claire pointed, I couldn’t help but blurt out, “What is that?” Even though I had come here from the 21st century.

About 500 meters away, a colossal cube-shaped object, the size of an apartment building, had landed in the middle of the coniferous forest. With no irregular signs of destruction around, only the trees immediately surrounding the landing site remained intact, it was accurate to call it a landing. A platoon, A Company, had arrived before us and they seemed bewildered. Something seemed off.

“Lieutenant, isn’t there something wrong over there?”

Claire, seeing it too, hurriedly directed her words towards A Company. One of the members of A Company was waving his arms wildly, but I didn’t know what it meant until his upper body was entirely torn away by something.